Mystery as ‘drug kingpin’ found dead

Nairobi, Kenya: A suspect who had been deported by Kenyan authorities over drug trafficking but sneaked back to Nairobi has been found dead.

Mystery surrounds the death of Komani Camara alias Boss Kamara, whose body was found on Saturday with gunshot wounds in the head. He had been deported to Guinea but sneaked back into the country under unclear circumstances.

Kilimani Division police said they were called and informed the body was lying along Cemetery Road near Jamhuri Park.

CID head George Ojuka said Camara’s body had two gunshot wounds on the head.

“We do not know who killed him but some people there say they heard gunshots on Saturday morning from the same area. We are investigating the incident,” said Ojuka.

He added that the victim had identification documents with him when the body was discovered.

According to police reports, preliminary findings had shown Camara was among those who had been deported last June over allegations of drug trafficking after a presidential directive.

“We are informed he had been deported and came back after which he was arrested and taken to court before he was released because there was no proof of his deportation,” said Ojuka.

The body was moved to the City Mortuary. Camara had been spotted at a popular coffee joint on Friday evening in a jovial mood. He had been repatriated alongside more than 90 other suspects, including Nigerian Anthony Chinedu.

Camara, who is thought to be a Benin national, was re-arrested in February upon his return to the country.

He was among more than 90 people who had been deported last June in a campaign aimed at getting rid of narcotic trafficking and consumption.

Sneaked back

It is not clear how he managed to come back because when one is deported he is deemed persona non grata in the country that deported him, and his or her passport is stamped to show that.

Camara’s lawyer Cliff Ombeta said the Government had failed to prove his client had been deported after police rearrested him and took him to court.

“He has been in remand for almost three months and we went to court and argued before he was set free. The Government could not show he was deported,” said Ombeta.

It is thought that Camara was put on an airline as a normal passenger and told to go away to allow things cool. He flew to Addis Ababa then to his country, before returning nine months later.

Most of the deported foreigners have returned, posing as businessmen. Some had lived in Kenya for up to 20 years before deportation. Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku said Sunday he was not aware of the development.